The Milan-Cortina Winter Paralympics opened under the shadow of an intensifying Middle East conflict and protests over the reappearance of the Russian flag, prompting several countries to skip the opening ceremony.
The Russian flag was carried during the nations’ parade on Friday — the first time it has flown at the Paralympics since the 2014 Sochi Games — fueling talk of a gradual reintegration of Russian athletes into major multi-sport events ahead of Paris and Los Angeles cycles. Four Russian competitors, wearing bright red, marched and waved inside the ancient Arena di Verona, which had been fitted with wheelchair ramps, accessible restrooms and other safety upgrades. Some in the crowd booed as they passed.
Russia’s presence marks a notable shift after years of sanctions tied to a state-sponsored doping program and penalties that continued following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. For the first time since that invasion, Russian gold medallists could again be publicly honored on a major global stage.
Ukraine was announced to applause but its athletes did not appear; the country followed through on a planned boycott. The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) said six other national teams also stayed away from the ceremony for political reasons: the Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Poland and Lithuania.
Belarus, a close Russian ally, also returned with its national flag and two athletes marching before a near-capacity Arena di Verona.
Iran’s flag was absent after its sole scheduled competitor, Para cross-country skier Aboulfazl Khatibi, withdrew hours before the opening ceremony, citing safety and travel difficulties amid an escalating Middle East conflict that began with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran.
IPC president Andrew Parsons placed the Games in a wider context, saying sport can offer an alternative perspective to global tensions and that he prefers to know countries by the names of their athletes rather than their leaders.
Only about 45 athletes of the more than 600 competitors took part in the ceremony. The Games are staged across multiple Italian clusters, and many athletes were unavailable because of scheduling, early competitions or travel logistics. The United States was represented in the parade by Para alpine skier Laurie Stephens and Para ice hockey player Josh Pauls.
Although countries named flagbearers, volunteers carried many of the flags because designated athletes were competing or otherwise unavailable. The parade included video segments showing athletes at their event venues.
Italian Paralympic star Bebe Vio carried the flame into the Arena di Verona. Wheelchair racer Francesca Porcellato lit the cauldron in Cortina d’Ampezzo, and visually impaired alpine skier Gianmaria Dal Maistro lit the Milan cauldron. Performers included Stewart Copeland, former drummer of the Police, and DJ Miky Bionic, noted as the first DJ to perform with a bionic arm.
The Milan-Cortina Games mark the 50th anniversary of the Winter Paralympics. With 79 medal events across six sports, this edition is the largest Winter Paralympics to date and features a record number of female participants. Curling competitions had already begun earlier in the week.
